I had interview numbero uno today with Frenship ISD and I definately got the job. Last night I couldn't fall asleep because I had a lot on my mind concerning the next year. Yesterday as I sorted through emails regarding my church endorsement things began to show a really really negative turn. I stayed up thinking about stuff: looked at other seminaries, contimplated the thought of staying a year and getting my teachers certification and lastly doing an intern in Tyler to take a year off of school. So these thought circulate my mind for hours on end, but I finally make myself fall asleep because I have an interview to attend. So I'm at my interview and one of the first questions I'm asked is "What do you plan on doing with your degree?" I respond, "well actually I had planned on attending seminary, but some unfortunate things are going on...blah blah blah, yada yada yada." Well turns out his daughter wanted to do the same thing as me, she graduated from Hardin Simmons with a Masters in Marriage & Family Therapy. She went to find a job and after a year found nothing. Only big churches can afford to have counselors on staff and they choose to seek counselors who are really experience...so his daughter is now living in San Antonio working for the CPS. So I explain to him how I actually came to Tech planning on getting my education degree and of course he encourages it since I am wanting to take on as subbing job. So stay a year get my teaching certification and then work for three years as a teacher then I am certified to be able to be a counselor in the school system. Then just work my way up, and if all else fails...I got that to fall back onto at anytime. So what am I gonna do? Hit my knees and start prayin'! So please please please pray for me and my decision. Thanks!

So today I got the answer to my questions about why friendships fade...

I found my answer in this relevant article by Amos Hathway entitled, "Worthy Relationships".

So Satan plays a role, imagine that? Satan sees these wonderful friendships and tries to destroy them because he is jealous. I also see the other side where God takes them away because they are not glorifying to Him. But it's funny because I know Satan is trying to keep those relationships together at the same time because they don't glorify God and those are the ones Satan really likes for us to be in.

Hathway states, "I believe the relationships that we have to fight for here on earth are the ones that will be key in eternity." As I truly evalutate that statement I think about a relationship between me and my best friend, Chelsey and a relationship between me and my friend, Sarah. Chelsey and I have been friends for eight years now, and I can say it hasn't been easy for us. I can recall many fights that nearly ended our friendship, but I kept working at it. When I was ready to give up on the friendship, something kept pushing me and giving me the desire to keep caring for her. There would be times when we wouldn't talk for awhile and it sucked, but our friendship always came around. Two years ago Chelsey got pregnant out of wed, and God warned me plenty of the situation and prepared me to be able to be a true friend to Chelsey. Because of everything I did for Chelsey during those times, Chelsey realized I was around to stay and that I would never leave her side no matter what she did. It was when she got engaged that she called me and said "will you be my Maid of Honor?" Last October Chelsey drove into town the weekend my Grandma died and one thing I remember was in the car we were driving to lunch and she said something to me about being there for her and the difference I had made in not only her life, but her husbands and her sons. Our friendship hasn't been easy and there are still times that I could give up like when she doesn't return my calls, but I work at it. And our relationship is very rewarding. I love Chelsey so much and although it's been tough, I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. So that brings me to Sarah...Sarah and I had something really special last year. We spent everyday together and we were both growing in the Lord together and suddenly that friendship drifted and it was gone pretty quickly. We still talk but it's nothing like before and thats when I see why Satan would crash that relationship because it was so God centered. But it's a relationship that is worth working at. It's hard for us to spend time together now because of busy schedules but this semester we both want to try really hard to set aside time to hang out and do accountability together. Friendships aren't easy I guess, but they are golden and they are worth keeping so work at it.

If you haven't heard from a friend in awhile you should give them a call. I find myself calling those friends when something reminds me of them. One time last year when my friend, Trent was in Utah it had been awhile since I talked to him and I drove through a town called Trent and I called him. Sometimes I feel that God shows use things like that so that we will call that friend or stop and pray for them. I love you all a lot and to those I haven't seen awhile, lets hang out soon. It was good over Christmas break because I got to see a really dear friend of mine, Liz! And I also got to hang out with an old buddy, Dane. I always love being able to see old friends and I had lots of fun with both of them. Before I went home for the break I reunited with my friend, Mandy and it was great. I wish I could remain friends with everyone I've ever been friends with but its hard. Like Sunday I hung out with some good friends of mine and I wish I got to see them more. This summer I got to hang out with Craig a lot, and Sunday getting to hang out with him made me miss this summer. Man oh man, I love my friends...new and old. As I sit here, I am talking to my friend, Ginnie and it reminds me of the days in which we hung out a lot...Mr. Potato Head, playing at the pool, and just having really good talks with her. Those things I miss about her and make me wanna spend time with her again. Man the more I think about it, the more of you I wanna see badly. I get to see Will this week and that makes me happy, I haven't hung out with him in forever but yet I love and cherish the times I get to spend with him now. Okay, I better go or I will bring up 30 more people and I'll never go to bed...I LOVE YOU ALL!

Today Jeff asked me what I would be doing in May...

Well here's the answer, in May I will be finishing up some school but I will still have one class left to take in summer school. I could try to finish it all up this semester but I think I'd end up with a really really crappy GPA. I have a job interview with Kohl's on the 10th and I might drop down to 12 hours and do 6 this summer and work full time this semester if they give me the job. If not then I'll go to class 15 hours and sub MWF. Either way, I don't graduate till August. So I don't know where I'll end up yet...

August I may end up at seminary or maybe in Tyler or maybe with out a job sitting on the side of the road or still here spending another year getting my teachers certification. Hopefully I'll be in Fort Worth at Southwestern, but if not I don't really know where I'll end up. I hate not knowing what or when or where...but I gotta have faith in God. Anyway, on that note I should probably finish my Statement of Call & Commitment for my application.

In eight months I have to start an all new life, and I'm kind of scared about it. All my friends that are graduating will be miles and miles away and my younger friends will still be stuck in this wonderful town...or is it wonderful? I'm not ready to grow up...

I have so much on my mind right now, I feel like my mind is running far too fast and my heart can't keep up. I keep thinking about my past, my future and well of course my present. I think about all the mistakes I've made and how they've shaped me. And I am trying to let the stupid decisions I've made not mess me up now, but learn from them and do something about it. Life can truly be so confusing.

I miss some of my old friends a lot, but I guess there are these weird things called seasons and sometimes friends come and go whether we like it or not. It's weird how you can be best friends with someone, like practically inseperable and then the next minute you don't hardly even talk to each other. It's so weird how life turns out. It's weird that when you stick by your friends even when they have no desire to be your friend, you end up being their best friend and now you can say you've been friends for eight years. One characteristic Jeff & Ryan said they saw in me was that I was faithful, and sometimes I wish that my friends would be faithful to me. I wish that my friends would stick by me when I'm going through hard crap or when I start dating someone or when I get too busy.

Okay, I'll end my tangent here. Gotta try to clear my mind...

Happy New Year, it's 2005! What shall my New Year's Resolution be? When I think of a good one I will let you all know. So New Year's Eve was great, lasted really stinkin' long. We didn't go to bed till freakin' 5:30am and I had lunch plans with my family for 12. Definately woke up to the sound of my phone ringing at 12:10, "hey where are you?" Crap, I had missed my alarm and it's past time to be there, what kind of Granddaughter, niece, cousin am I? I ended up getting up and heading over there to delivery presents. I stayed over there awhile and watching part of Somethings Gotta Give with my Grandma, but then I got tired so I headed out.Ooo, I did get to see Napoleon Dynamite and it was great. It's probably going to become part of my collection soon...today I added Bad Boys & Annie! Wahoo! I counted my collection today, and I now have 88 Dvd's, saweet! Anyway, thats all for now...check out my New Year's Eve Pictures...

http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/redraidergal/album?.dir=/8b53&.src=ph&.tok=pha_rTCB6Tw7tSlE